Samuel Sewall

27.5 cm x 18.2 cm

Boston: printed by Bartholomew Green and John Allen, 1700Gift from Robert C. Winthrop, 1863

page:

FOR AS MUCH as Liberty is in real value next unto
Life: None ought to part with
it themselves, or deprive others of it, but upon most mature
Consideration.

The Numerousness of Slaves at this day in the
Province, and the Uneasiness
of them under their Slavery, hath put many upon thinking whether
the Foundation of it be firmly and well laid; so as to sustain the Vast Weight
that is
built upon it. It is most certain that all Men, as they are the Sons of
Adam, are
Coheirs; and have equal Right unto Liberty, and all other outward Comforts of
Life.
GOD hath given the Earth [with all its Commodities] unto the
Sons of Adam, Psal 115.
16. And hath made of One Blood, all Nations of Men, for to dwell on all
the face of the Earth;
and hath determined the Times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation: That they
should seek the Lord. Forasmuch then as we are the Offspring of GOD &c.
Act 17.26, 27, 29.
Now although the Title given by the last ADAM, doth infinitely
better Mens Estates,
respecting GOD and themselves; and grants them a most beneficial and
inviolable
Lease under the Broad Seal of Heaven, who were before only Tenants at Will:
Yet
through the Indulgence of GOD to our First Parents after the Fall, the outward
Estate
of all and every of the Children, remains the same, as to one another. So that
Originally, and Naturally, there is no such thing as Slavery.
Joseph was rightfully no
more a Slave to his Brethren, then they were to him : and they had no more
Authority
to Sell him, than they had to Slay him. And if
they had nothing to do to Sell him;
the Ishmaelites bargaining with them, and paying down Twenty
pieces of Silver, could
not make a Title. Neither could Potiphar have any
better Interest in him than theIshmaelites had. Gen. 37. 20, 27, 28. For he that
shall in this case plead Alteration of
Property, seems to have forfeited a great part of his own claim to
Humanity. There is
no proportion between Twenty Pieces of Silver, and LIBERTY. The Commodity
it self is the Claimer. If Arabian Gold be imported in any
quantities, most are afraid
to meddle with it, though they might have it at easy rates; lest if it should
have
been wrongfully taken from the Owners, it should kindle a fire to the
Consumption
of their whole Estate.'Tis pity there should be more Caution used in buying
a
Horse, or a little lifeless dust; than there is in purchasing Men and Women:
Whenas
they are the Offspring of GOD, and their Liberty is,

-- Auro pretiosior Omni.

And seeing GOD hath said, He that Stealeth a Man and Selleth him, or
if he be
found in his hand, he shall surely be put to Death.
Exod. 12.16. This Law being of E-
verlasting Equity, wherein Man Stealing is ranked amongst the most
atrocious of
Capital Crimes: What louder Cry can there be made of the Celebrated Warning,

And all thing considered, it would conduce more to the Welfare of the
Province,
to have White Servants for a Term of Years, than to have Slaves for Life. Few
can
endure to hear of a Negro's being made free; and indeed they can seldom
use
their freedom well; yet their continual aspiring after their forbidden Liberty,
ren-
ders them Unwilling Servants. And there is such a disparity in their
Conditions,
Color & Hair, that they can never embody with us, and grow up into orderly
Families,
to the Peopling of the Land: but still remain in our Body Politick as a kind of extra-
vasat Blood. As many Negro men as there are among us, so many empty
places there
are in our Train Bands, and the places taken up of Men that might make
Husbands
for our Daughters. And the Sons and Daughters of New England would
become more
like Jacob, and
Rachel, if this Slavery were thrust quite out of
doors. Moreover it is
too well known what Temptations Masters are under, to connive at the
Fornification
of their Slaves; lest they should be obliged to find them Wives, or pay their
Fines.
It seems to be practically pleaded that they might be Lawless; 'tis thought
much of,
that the Law should have Satisfaction for their Thefts, and other Immoralities;
by
which means, Holiness to the Lord, is more rarely engraven upon
this sort of Servitude.
It is likewise most lamentable to think, how in taking Negros out of Africa, and Selling
of them here, That which GOD ha's joyned together men
do boldly rend asunder;
Men from their Country, Husbands from their Wives, Parents from their
Children.
How horrible is the Uncleanness, Mortality, if not Murder, that the Ships
are
guilty of that bring great Crouds of these miserable
Men, and Women. Methinks,
when we are bemoaning the barbarous Usage of our Friends and Kinsfolk in
Africa:
it might not be unseasonable to enquire whether we are not culpable in forcing
theAfricans to become Slaves amongst our selves. And it may be a
question whether all
the Benefit received by Negro Slaves, will balance the
Accompt of Cash laid out upon
them; and for the Redemption of our own enslaved Friends out of
Africa. Besides
all the Persons and Estates that have perished there.

Obj. 1. These Blackamores are of the Posterity of
Cham, and therefore are
under the Curse of Slavery. Gen. 9.25, 26,
27.

Answ. Of all Offices, one would not
begg this; viz. Uncall'd
for, to be an Execu-
tioner of the Vindictive Wrath of God; the extent and duration of which
is to
us uncertain. If this ever was a Commission; How do we know but that it is long
since out of date? Many have found it to their Cost, that a Prophetical
Denunci-
ation of Judgment against a Person or People, would not warrant them to
inflict that
evil. If it would, Hazael might justify himself
in all he did against his Master, and
the Israelites, from 2 Kings 8. 10, 12.

But it is possible that by cursory reading, this Text may have been
mistaken. ForCanaan is the Person Cursed three times over,
without the mentioning of Cham. Good
Expositors suppose the Curse entailed on him, and that this
Prophesie was accom-
plished in the Extirpation of the Canaanites, and in the
Servitude of the Gibeonites,
Vide Pareum. Whereas the Blackmores are
not descended of Canaan, but of
Cush.
Psal. 68. 31. Princes shall come out of
Egypt [Mizraim] Ethopia [Cush] shall soon
stretch out her hands unto God. Under which Names, all
Africa may be compre-
hended; and the Promised Conversion ought to be prayed for. Jer. 13, 23. Can the
Ethiopian change his skin? This shews that
Black Men are the Posterity of Cush: Who
time out of mind have been distinguished by their Colour. And for want of the
true, Ovid assigns a fabulous cause of it.

Answ. Evil must not be done, that
good may come of it. The extraordinary and
comprehensive Benefit accruing to the Church of God, and to
Joseph personally, did
not rectify his brethrens Sale of him.

Obj. 3. The Africans have
Wars with one another: our Ships bring lawful
Captives taken in those Wars.

Answ. For ought is known, their
Wars are much such as were between Jacob's
Sons and their Brother Joseph. If they be between
Town and Town; Provincial, or
National: Every War is upon one side Unjust. An Unlawful War can't make
law-
ful Captives. And by Receiving, we are in danger to promote, and partake
in their
Barbarous Cruelties. I am sure, if some Gentlemen should go down to the
Brewsters
to take the Air, and Fish: And a stronger party from
Hull should Surprise them, and
Sell them for Slaves to a Ship outward bound: they would think themselves
unjustly
dealt with; both by Sellers and Buyers. And yet 'tis to be feared, we have no
other kind of Title to our Nigers. Therefore all things whatsoever ye
would that men
should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the
Prophets. Matt. 7. 12.

Obj. 4. Abraham had
servants bought with his Money, and born in his
House.

Answ. Until the Circumstances of
Abraham's purchase be recorded, no Argument
can be drawn from it. In the mean time, Charity obliges us to conclude, that
He
knew it was lawful and good.

It is Observable that the Israelites were strictly forbidden
the buying, or selling one
another for Slaves. Levit. 25. 39,
46. Jer. 34. 8--22. And GOD gaged
His
Blessing in lieu of any loss they might conceipt
they suffered thereby. Deut. 15.
18.
And since the partition Wall is broken down, inordinate Self love should
likewise be
demolished. GOD expects that Christians should be of a more Ingenuous and
benign
frame of spirit. Christians should carry it to all the World, as the
Israelites were to
carry it one towards another. And for men obstinately to persist in holding
their
Neighbours and Brethren under the Rigor of perpetual Bondage, seems to be no
proper
way of gaining Assurance that God ha's given them Spiritual Freedom. Our
Blessed
Saviour ha's altered the Measures of the Ancient Love-Song, and set it to a
most
Excellent New Tune, which all ought to be ambitious of Learning. Matt. 5. 43, 44.John 13. 34. These Ethiopians, as black as they are;
seeing they are the Sons and
Daughters of the First Adam, the Brethren and
Sister of the Last ADAM, and the
Offspring of GOD; They ought to be treated with a Respect agreeable.